ekibastuz,kazakhstan

Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan

Jonathan's weeks work in Ekibastuz.

The arrival

My flight arrived early Monday morning in Astana--the capital city of Kazakhstan. There, a driver waited for me to take me to my final destination of Ekibastuz, KZ, which is an approximate four hour car ride.

First off, Astana really shocked me. Apparently, five years ago, it was fairly empty--no major construction, little business, little or no skyscrapers. Now, it's completely different. Construction goes on 24/7 and the new buildings all seem so modern. It's like the "new" Dubai.

Ekibastuz

Ekibastuz is home to about 120,000 residents. The office at which I visited is called Bogatyr Access Komir. (For more information about the company, visit its website at http://www.bogatyr.kz/page.php?lang=2)

At first, I met with the CFO who explained to me the company's structure and the different responsibilites of each department.

Throughout the week, I met with each department. Each department employee explained to me his or her role within the company, current projects he or she is working on, and how the department influences the coal mine's operations.

The Coal Mine

20 minutes from the headquarters, lies the Bogatyr mine--take a look at the picture above

At first glance, the mine is mind-boggling. Pictures don't do the mine justice. Over there, I met with the Chief Technical Director. He detailed the different operations of the mine's respective parts and the kinds of machinery involved in excavating the coal.

Afterwards, in his office close to the mine, he provided maps illustrating the quality of the coal and different layers of overburden within the mine. One memorable instance occurred when, all of a sudden, the building began rocking forcefully back and forth. I was stunned, but he seemed relaxed and simply looked over at his watch. Apparently, at 2 p.m., the workers begin loosing the overburden in the mine with explosives. He even commented that explosion was nothing and pointed to the three-meter long crack in the roof.

Overall, the experience was comprehensive, engaging, and special. If you have any questions regarding the experience, please feel free to email me at jwb5278@gmail.com.